Where is MAURA MURRAY

Mason wrote:

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Mr, Vasi suffered multiple serious head injuries that I believe were caused by his head impacting the street and possibly the curb after he was struck by a vehicle. I recall reading a post on this site in which Shack (I think) asked him if he knew where the car hit him and he said he wasn't sure. He said that after he came out of the coma one side of his body (left?) felt more sore than the other so assumed that's where the car hit him.
In other words, he sustained soft tissue injuries to various parts of the rest of his body, but no broken bones.

There is also speculation that he may have been "car-surfing." The trouble is, no witnesses have come forward, the driver has not come forward, and Mr. Vasi quite simply cannot--and likely will not ever--remember, through whatever combination of alcohol and traumatic brain injury.(He does recall, or has been told by friends, or some combination, that he was pretty drunk that evening.

In other words, he sustained soft tissue injuries to various parts of the rest of his body, but no broken bones. Therefore, his injuries were consistent with sustaining an impact to his lower body that up-ended him and he landed on his head in the street or against the curb.

I don't see how that necessarily follows. There's a good chance that he'd have extensive lower-body injuries if he was hit--if not broken tib/fib then at least some MAJOR impact bruising etc. The left side of his body may also be what hit the GROUND first (or the side he landed on if he hit headfirst)

Advocate wrote:

Mason -- I think your theory has merit for consideration, with a couple of caveats.
For one, I don't think Maura would have done this for a male friend *unless* he happened to be a boyfriend. While it is possible that she had developed feelings for someone besides Billy, we just don't know. Her feelings would have had to be very strong for her to protect someone in this way, and there is nothing to suggest that she was spending a lot of time unaccounted for (classes, jobs, etc.), which would be the case if she had another love we don't know about.
I could more easily see her protecting a very close girlfriend OR even herself, especially if the situation was that Vasi literally stumbled out in front of the car so that there was no way to avoid hitting him (he admitted he had been pretty drunk that evening). Something like that could possibly give her the "moral permission" to take action to protect her nursing career or that of another, especially when, on Monday the 9th, his condition was upgraded and she felt he probably would live.

I don't believe that an intimate relationship is necessary for this theory to be viable because Maura would have had a personal interest in protecting herself and her father from potential civil liability for the accident. I don't know about the terms of her father's insurance policy on the Saturn, but he was the registered owner and Maura did not live at home. That situation resulted in a question regarding insurance coverage for the damage caused to his new Toyota when Maura had the accident early Sunday morning.

Her father spent quite a bit of time on the phone trying to straighten it out and finally got it resolved to his satisfaction. I'm sure he explained it to her. I think she understood there might not be any insurance coverage for the injuries sustained by Vasi.

Her father handled the Toyota accident pretty well, apparently. Would he have continued to remain as unruffled, if he found out that she lent the Saturn to a male or female friend who, given what Maura knew at that time, might have killed Mr. Vasi?

Therefore, regardless of the relationship Maura had with this other person of interest, she had a personal motive to participate willingly in disposing of the Saturn before her father returned the following weekend to close the deal on the new Prism and drop off the Saturn.

FireCat wrote:

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This puts your response TOTALLY into perspective. Thanks for that.

;-)

Ross wrote:

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Exactly..this is why I believe that she would have called somebody during that drive if she had her cell phone...even if it was just to chit chat. But since she didnt make any calls during that trip, I dont think she had it with her..or she was hellbent on not using it and making sure it was off. If I were Fred I dont think I would have cut off her cell phone service yet, in the hopes that just one time her or someone turns that thing on and purposely/accidentally makes a call with it.

But I wonder - do we know - did Maura use her cell phone a lot? Example - I have a cell phone and MAYBE use about 10 minutes a month, and that's stretching it. The main reason I have it is in case I have car problems. Even though 2004 wasn't that long ago, it's my opinion that people, esp younger, didn't use their cell like they do today with texting and all. Of course I'd be shocked if we had this fact, a fact for that matter but has it ever been said if Maura used a lot of minutes on her phone?

FireCat wrote:

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There is also speculation that he may have been "car-surfing." The trouble is, no witnesses have come forward, the driver has not come forward, and Mr. Vasi quite simply cannot--and likely will not ever--remember, through whatever combination of alcohol and traumatic brain injury.(He does recall, or has been told by friends, or some combination, that he was pretty drunk that evening.
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I don't see how that necessarily follows. There's a good chance that he'd have extensive lower-body injuries if he was hit--if not broken tib/fib then at least some MAJOR impact bruising etc. The left side of his body may also be what hit the GROUND first (or the side he landed on if he hit headfirst)

In reference to your last point, I'm pretty sure Mr. Vasi would have mentioned those injuries in the emails that he exchanged with Shack (I think) you mention, if he sustained them, but he didn't.

FYI, there is a tantalizing message posted by BeagleBart that I offer for the group's consideration.

"And please do not forget, I do have a unique stake in this. I lived with a woman who was a BMC ICU nurse, possibly Mr. Vasi's nurse, and possibly charge-nurse that weekend, when Mr. Vasi was admitted and lying in a coma there. When no one knew whether he would live or die. But someone (or two or three) outside his family was obviously very, very interested in knowing his exact condition."

Message #2039 at p. 102.

Meanwhile, I'll look for the Vasi emails and post them after I find them. There here somewhere (sigh).

Cause for some delicious speculation, eh what?

BTW, I'm sure the cops interviewed the nurse about those calls because that's SOP in these sorts of cases where someone involved in a crime or with inside information about it calls the ICU and tells a nurse that they are a member of the patient's family and would like an update on his condition. Nurses have long been alerted to note calls like this and pass them along to cops.

ScooterD wrote:

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But I wonder - do we know - did Maura use her cell phone a lot? Example - I have a cell phone and MAYBE use about 10 minutes a month, and that's stretching it. The main reason I have it is in case I have car problems. Even though 2004 wasn't that long ago, it's my opinion that people, esp younger, didn't use their cell like they do today with texting and all. Of course I'd be shocked if we had this fact, a fact for that matter but has it ever been said if Maura used a lot of minutes on her phone?

I may get slammed for this remark, but I'm going to go ahead and risk it.

I've long believed that sooner or later a mutation in human DNA will occur that produces a small cell phone that replaces an ear on teenage human females.

M

ScooterD wrote:

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But I wonder - do we know - did Maura use her cell phone a lot? Example - I have a cell phone and MAYBE use about 10 minutes a month, and that's stretching it. The main reason I have it is in case I have car problems. Even though 2004 wasn't that long ago, it's my opinion that people, esp younger, didn't use their cell like they do today with texting and all. Of course I'd be shocked if we had this fact, a fact for that matter but has it ever been said if Maura used a lot of minutes on her phone?

I was at umass in 2004 and you would be dreaming if you didn't think kids talked on their phone and texted a lot.

I was mistaken whe I said Shack corresponded with Mr. Vasi by email. Paris corresponded with him and this is one of the messages she posted:

Petrit sent you a message.

Re: very personal

"I beleive it was my right side, hip. The head ofcourse was hit. Your welcome."
See message #1981 @ p. 99.

__________

I recall she posted other messages that should be w/in 10 pages before and after p. 99 on this site, but I don't have time right now to look for them.

M

ScooterD wrote:

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But I wonder - do we know - did Maura use her cell phone a lot? Example - I have a cell phone and MAYBE use about 10 minutes a month, and that's stretching it. The main reason I have it is in case I have car problems. Even though 2004 wasn't that long ago, it's my opinion that people, esp younger, didn't use their cell like they do today with texting and all. Of course I'd be shocked if we had this fact, a fact for that matter but has it ever been said if Maura used a lot of minutes on her phone?

Well we know she occasionally had "noithing calls" with her sister. IMO with her being at UMASS away from family and Billy im pretty sure her cell phone was her life line. She probably used it often since her friends says she was not very open. When I was in the military away from "home" I was always using my cell..way back in 2002

Matt wrote:

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I was at umass in 2004 and you would be dreaming if you didn't think kids talked on their phone and texted a lot.

Thanks, Scooter. You may saved me from facing a sorry fate at the hand of vengeful females for my remark about cell phones.

M

Dawn wrote:

I posted two earlier and they didn't show up. My question is for those who were on the original MM forum. Did friends from Umass or her hometown ever post? I just think it is odd that her friends remain quiet. If it was my friend who went missing I would still post here -even though some are mean. I would still pull out the stops to find answers.. Please advise.

Maybe nondisclosure agreement signed.

Sara wrote:

Does anyone have any thoughts on the Red Cross calling card that called her boyfriend's phone? Is there any way this card could have been carried in her wallet for emergencies? I always carried a calling card on road trips in college even though I had a cell.

Parse carefully answer by LE.

Mason wrote:

<quoted text>In other words, he sustained soft tissue injuries to various parts of the rest of his body, but no broken bones. Therefore, his injuries were consistent with sustaining an impact to his lower body that up-ended him and he landed on his head in the street or against the curb. I would not expect any blood or hair to have been transferred to the car that hit him under those circumstances.

Not a chance. If there was enough force to throw him over the car he would have had massive lower leg injuries especially considering how low the car sits. I never heard of him having any lower extremity injuries. Didn’t happen, no way, no how. Take a PHTLS class or work the street and see injuries from car v. pedestrian. It is highly unlikely that her car was involved in a car v. pedestrian accident. Someone straighten me out if he had them in addition to TBI and head injuries. I have never seen anyone get thrown over a car without making significant lower body contact with the car. How does that happen?

I am still waiting for anyone who has clearer photos or has seen the vehicle to tell me if there are any metal on metal gouges from an under ride and a receiver/trailer hitch.

Bueller?... anyone?

All I keep hearing is cricket noises.

Bill

Mason wrote:

Part 2 of 2
On the other hand, if with the best of intentions, he arrogantly decided to solve Maura's problem himself without seeking assistance from the cops, he may have placed Maura in the situation where "something went terribly wrong." If this is what happened, did he decide to try and make the cops the issue to deflect attention from himself? Did he decree that the events in Amherst were irrelevant and off limits to protect himself in the name of protecting her reputation and privacy? To what extent, if at all, is his obsessive drive to solve Maura's disappearance fueled by guilt and the desire to conceal his role in what happened?
I do not have the answers to these questions and I am not asserting that he is involved or has something to hide. Any good homicide detective would ask these questions along with many others because that's what they get paid to do. We should think the same way and not be afraid or intimidated into agreeing to let someone else define the scope of the investigation
Sometimes smart people do stupid things. To someone with my experience, a sweeping declaration that the facts and circumstances that led Maura to drive north are irrelevant to solving her disappearance is the equivalent of an admission that he knows those facts and circumstances but for reasons unknown he doesn't want anyone else to know.

Good thinking, possibly correct, or partly correct, but look at other things that go in a somewhat different direction.

mcsmom wrote:

I think its important to keep in mind that Maura's family has tried unsuccessfully to get the FBI involved from the git go.

Feds appear involved from start.

Detective Columbo wrote:

The vehicle was in an accident on the wrong side of the rd. Hmmmmmm....maybe I might think twice.

Vehicle in accident (somewhere). FOUND on less likely side of road.

lol.....Bill,

I actually stopped and thought the other day, "Gee, I wonder what Bill is thinking?".

If Maura had been at a party Saturday night for hours where others were drinking, at least one friend drinking til passed out, isn't it likely Maura drank SOMEthing too? Otherwise, that would've been one intolerably long night for her! If she had drinks, I wonder why Officer Ruddick didn't observe this after her accident??? I've noticed that policemen do come right up to me, just a few inches away, if I'm in a car that's been stopped.(For years I thought it was because they liked me.) As a poster said, it sure would've saved a lot of heartache if he had noticed a scent of alcohol and taken her to the station. Maybe it would've altered the chain of events...

Maybe since Maura is so bright, she took a mouthful of her toothpaste (from the backseat?) before the officer arrived? That might've worked.

As an inexperienced driver I had several low-speed skids that did a remarkable amount of damage to the car as well as to my emotional well-being. That kind of accident is not a "little" deal, and for Maura to act normally at the gallery job the next day, keeping this trauma from her friend, is quite a feat.

I keep feeling there's something very important that we're all CLOSE to, but not really "getting". I don't think she was having a psychotic break (altho her age is right for someone who has been able to hide the development of major mental illness). We know Maura is a very private person. I don't think she told her friends things until she had to.(Examples available upon request.) Yet she had that uncharacteristic crying episode in PUBLIC.(This idea is courtesy of an old MMM poster who also felt Maura created a situation that would make it hard for her to return to UMass.) Anyway, to me, that means either the phone call Thursday night was MAJOR, or that in addition to being able to act like things are OK (at the gallery the day after ruining Fred's car), putting on a happy front, she was also able to act upset when required. I don't know what this means, but at the moment it means to me that Maura was willing and able to do whatever was necessary, what was required.... and I don't know what that means, either. It's just making me think (today --- tomorrow it'll be a different scenario, as we go 'round and 'round) that maybe she DID have a plan; and that she was determined to carry it out, whatever maneuvers were required... This could mean she's alive... It could mean she HAD to be ruthless with herself and her family. Thinking of "Not Without Peril" (in my group of favorite books too now)--- life and death choices, triage, being faced with things we never imagined. things we were never were given a script for.

Benji wrote:

<quoted text>Feds appear involved from start.

The New Hampshire State Police REFUSED the aid of the FBI.